


A Birthday Surprise

by Airplanesandcookies (Mosgirllee)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Jack Has A Daughter, M/M, Meet-Cute, Parent Jack Zimmermann, nothing but fluff, they are all very sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:02:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22707418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mosgirllee/pseuds/Airplanesandcookies
Summary: Bitty helps a very young customer buy a cake for her dad's birthday.But the kid may have two gifts in mind.A very fluffy meet-cute.
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 30
Kudos: 375
Collections: Bitty's Valentines Collection





	A Birthday Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [leahlisabeth](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=leahlisabeth).



> I was so happy to write a fic for leahlisabeth. We have the same soft spot for Bakery AUs and meet-cutes and this was a joy to write. I hope you enjoy your Bitty Valentine.

A little girl with the biggest blue eyes Bitty had ever seen, stood in front of his cash register, pulling out folded dollar bills from the bottom of a very large and orange piggy bank. 

Bitty could feel his heart expanding like a balloon in his chest. 

After pulling out what he could only count as a jumble, she pushed the money towards him and pointed towards the display case. “Is this enough for that cake?”

Even if it wasn’t, Bitty was going to give her the cake just because she delighted him so. His heart couldn’t take this much cute in a morning before his second cup of coffee. It was too much. 

“Absolutely. Do you want me to write anything on it.” Bitty asked as he pulled out a small chocolate cake and placed it delicately into a box. 

Little blue eyes bounced on her bare tiny toes that Eric noticed from under her pajama pants. “Happy Birthday, Daddy!” And can you draw a Falcon on it. He’ll like that.” 

Children usually came into the shop, maybe not with a piggy bank, but always with shoes and an adult. 

“Honey, I can’t help but notice, where is your grown-up?” Bitty asked carefully, reaching over to grab the white frosting to write the message. 

The girl leaned towards the counter. “He’s still sleeping. Now I get to surprise him!” She said, conspiratorially. 

“Oh! I see. You know, I would be very worried if I woke up and my kiddo was gone.”

She blinked owlishly at him for a second before adding. “I left him a note, just in case.”

Bitty cast his eyes over to the front door. The clock hadn’t moved much since this very small child rang the little bell over the door by walking into his shop. 

“I’m a little nervous. Do you think we can call your dad now and let him know where you are so I can feel better about you being here?” 

The little girl’s eyes grew even larger and misted over. “But, the surprise?” 

Oh my god. Eric thought. This was it. His paternal instincts were activated. Abundance of affection, overflowing. Bitty was going to be a dad now. 

Bitty sighed. Logically he knew that he could not adopt a little lost girl like a kitten, but that didn’t stop his overactive imagination from planning out a lifetime of first days of school and making her cookies when she was sad. 

Who could possibly lose this precious little angel of a baby child. Eric was not going to cry. He was going to be the grown-up that she needed until he could locate her grown-ups. And if he couldn’t find them, then he would immediately adopt her and rename his bakery, ‘Bitty and Bit’s Bakery.’ 

But he didn’t have time to even contemplate pulling out his phone to call the police before a very large and very muscular man went running frantically past the shop door, before skidding to a stop, pivoting and yanking open the bakery door. 

He was blue eyed and barefoot, just like the little girl standing stock still at his register. 

“Ava!” 

“Daddy!”

Mr. Tall and beautiful scooped up his child and spun her into a tight hug. 

“You scared me. You can’t just walk out of the apartment like that. It’s not safe.”

Ava clung to him, her little voice squeaky with tears. “I’m sorry daddy, but I wanted to surprise you.”

Eric lip quivered as he watched their reunion. He was not going to cry like this was a corny Hallmark movie. Not until they left and he was recounting the story to Lardo. 

To distract himself (and to keep himself from staring), he finished writing the birthday message and boxed up the cake. 

Ava’s father cleared his throat and Bitty looked up, not noticing that he had walked up to the counter and good grief, this man was SO hot. Magazine cover worthy, farmer’s market hot, and thick, Eric was going to expire right here in his shop. 

“I am so sorry,” the deep voice said and every thought in his head went out the door. “I had no idea she had left.” He waved a sheet of paper between them. “Glad she left a note.”

The “note” was a picture drawn in crayon of a lopsided brown box with an arrow pointing towards the first floor. It took a second, but Bitty recognized that the circle drawn next to the arrow was a picture of the pie from his bakery’s sign. 

“Can I have it? I want to frame it and hang it on the wall.” 

Jack handed it over with a smile and Bitty took it reverently enjoying the little details like the yellow sun in the top corner and the big blue planters with strawberry plants sticking up.

When Bitty finally spoke again, his voice was a little horse. “I’m so glad you got here so quickly. She was only down here for a few minutes. I was going to try to call you and then maybe the police.”

The man nodded. “Makes sense. I’m Jack. Ava and I live in the condos upstairs.”

“That does makes sense.” Eric said, looking down at Jack’s bare feet.

Jack wiggled his toes. “I panicked. I may have forgotten my shoes.”

“It’s good that I’m the owner. I can waive the no shoes, no shirt, no service rule.” Eric said, knowing that he sounded like he was flirting with a married man. But he didn’t see a ring. “I’m Eric, but everyone calls me Bitty.” 

Jack blushed, the pink coming over his cheeks under his morning stubble.

Ava pushed up onto her toes and moved the box over to Jack. “Daddy, happy birthday!” 

Jack picked back up his daughter and looked over at the box. “This caused all the fuss?”

Eric’s pride bubbled up, “I’ll have you know, it was worth it.”

Jack smirked as he met Eric’s eyes and opened the box. Now that the anxiety was gone, his smiles came easily. “Oh my gosh! Thank you. Nice Falcon!” He said kissing her head. 

“You told me not to turn on the stove, so I couldn’t make a cake. I’m sorry I scared you,”

Jack hugged his child. “I understand. Next time, we’ll make different choices though.”

Eric fussed, pulling on the sleeves of his shirt and straightening his apron. 

“How much do I owe you?” Jack asked.

Bitty waved the picture at him. “It’s your birthday, no charge. Plus, this counts as my first commissioned picture of my bakery.”

“That’s no way to run a business.” 

“Good thing it’s my business.” Eric lobbed back, smiling and pushing the box and the wadded up bills towards the family. 

Ava, who had been oddly silent pipped up. “Daddy, he’s really nice, you should ask him out on a date.”

Jack’s eyes went wide.

“You already said you thought he was cute. And he makes cake. He could be my new dad.” 

Bitty’s eyes went wide.

Ava beaconed towards Eric with her finger. “Do you like kids?” She asked in a very loud whisper. 

“I love kids.” Bitty whispered back. 

“Do you like hockey?” Ava countered. 

“I played in college. I was captain my senior year.” Bitty replied. 

“Bitty’s a hockey nickname?” Jack said, not really asking a question. 

“Okay. This is the most important question.” Ava said, looking intense, “What is your favorite breakfast?” 

“Pancakes.”

Ava turned to her dad. “Marry him.” 

Jack’s mouth gapped open and then closed without any sound coming out.

Bitty tried not to laugh, but failed. 

Ava smiled serenely. 

“You are a handful.” Bitty finally said, handing the cake box over to Jack. He pulled out a business card, flipped it over, and scribbled down his phone number.

“I close up shop around 4pm. Call anytime.” Bitty said with a wink. 

Jack took the card, carefully read the number to himself before putting the card in his pocket and backing up from the register. 

“So, if you aren’t busy after 4pm, I was going to order take out and eat this awesome birthday cake my daughter bought me. Would you like to join us for dinner?” 

Bitty smiled. “That sounds like a lot of fun. Can I bring anything?”

“More cake?” Ava said, eyeing the strawberry cupcakes in the case. 

“Just yourself.” Jack said pulling his daughter out the door while balancing his cake. “I’ll text you the details once I have my hands free?”

“You know where to find me.”

Jack and Ava beamed matching smiles before turning and walking out the door. 

Bitty only got through displaying out a few more cookies and scones for the lunch rush before his cell phone beeped.

"Hi, it’s Jack. We live in Apartment 4 upstairs. In case you couldn't guess, I am a single parent to a very independent 6 year old. I really do hope you can make it later. If you can't, let me know now so I can stop cleaning."

Bitty texted back. "I'm definitely coming. I wouldn't miss it."

After a minute, he added a wink face because he was definitely flirting.

Jack winked back. 

4pm couldn't come fast enough.


End file.
